In early 1967, the UH-1F
helicopters assigned to the 606th Air Commando Squadron
Project Lucky Tiger were assigned to the 20th Helicopter
Squadron, and ferried to Nha Trang Air Base RVN. Here the aircraft
were assigned to “E” Flight, and attached to the
14th Air Commando Wing. The initial mission assigned to
the organization was support of the 5th Special Forces
(SF). The Green Hornets, so named because of the green camouflage
paint and the Mini guns available to the mission, began their role
supporting the Military Assistance Command Studies and Observation
Group (MAC-SOG). The primary mission was to provide close air support
for Vietnamese Air Force H-34s “Butterflies” infiltrating
and exfiltrating six man reconnaissance teams into the “Prairie
Fire” operations area in the Southern area of Laos near the
tri-border region.

The aircraft had no
armor, except for the pilot and copilot seats. All aircrew members
wore ceramic vests for protection from small arms. The back plates
from the pilot’s protective vests and spare flak vests were
placed in the chin windows to stop any ground fire that might come in
through them.

Originally armed with GE
GAU-2B/APintle mounted Mini-guns and carrying up to 12,000
rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, in late June the unit’s
helicopters acquired rocket mounts, 2.75 Inch Folding Fin Aerial
Rocket (FFAR) pods (LAU-59/A, each capable of carrying seven rockets
per pod, and gun sights from friendly army units. The ingenuity of
the maintenance teams assigned accomplished what the Warner-Robins
Depot said could not be done. Initially, four helicopters were rocket
pod configured. The Green Hornets now had some potent “stingers”

The “F”: Model, when
converted to carry rocket pods, was designated the “P”
model. As more and more Hueys were modified, the F/P designation
became common usage for all the aircraft

The gunship crews learned
their craft On the Job. Based at Special Forces FOB #2 at Kontum,
crews and aircraft staged each day to Dak To air field. Here the SF
command Post (“Hog Heaven”) assigned the daily missions.
The gunship tactics needed to support the “Butterflies”
engaged in the clandestine “Prairie Fire” and later the
“Daniel Boone” missions were developed as various
situations unfolded. During the first few days of the new mission, a
Landing Zone (LZ) went hot and a Butterfly was lost to hostile fire.
Gunship activity and A1E support suppressed the ground fire which
permitted a second H-34 to retrieve the reconnaissance team and the
VNAF aircrew members. This was the only Butterfly lost while under
this phase of Hornet protection. In mid June, the Army-Air Force
Roles and Mission controversy forced the Hornets to remove their
mini-guns. For a short period of time, missions were flown with only
M-60 and A-3 machine guns hung from bungee cords instead of the big
guns. Fortunately the controversy was quickly settled and the Hornets
were re-armed.

During the Roles and
Mission controversy, it was determined that the Hornets could be
armed in the defense of Air Force installations, but not in support
of Army units. One gunship deployed to Bihn Tuy AB, located in the
delta near the city of Can Tho. Here the aircraft and crew spent
slightly more than two weeks on night anti-mortar alert, sharing the
Local Base Rescue (Pedro) trailer. Random night patrols were
conducted, as well as several hot scrambles. During the random night
time sweeps, the gunners used starlight scopes to look for potential
mortar teams. No mortar attacks occurred, and when the Roles and
Mission problem was resolved, the aircraft returned to Nha Trang and
resumption of the MAC SOG mission.

In late summer 1967, the
rest of “E” flight’s helicopters, sporting M-60
door guns, began to replace the “Butterflies” as the
primary infil/exfil aircraft. At this time, the occasional “Daniel
Boone” mission would be tasked. Normally four gunships and
three slicks would deploy to Kontum, with the air crews rotating
every two weeks.

A mission profile began
with the infiltration Aircraft Commander and the Team Leader
reviewing the target area. Next was a random over flight of the area
with three ships. The lead was a “slick” containing the
team leader and escorted by a set of two gunships. The team leader
would select his LZ, and the A/C would select the approach path and
Initial Point (IP). Back on the ground, the three flight crews would
compare information and confirm target area details. A mission
package consisted of a set of gunships and three “slicks”,
the primary infiltration aircraft and two spares. The flight to the
IP was flown at 1500 to 3000 feet above ground level to reduce the
chance of ground fire. Several methods were used to insert the team;
however the most frequently used was the single file method. At the
IP, the aircraft would change to an in trail formation, establish and
maintain thirty second intervals then descend to the tree tops. At
the target, lead would drop into the LZ and the other aircraft would
over fly it. As the last huey crossed the LZ, lead would pull up and
rejoin the formation. The group would stay on the tree tops until
several kilometers from the LZ, then climb to a safe altitude and
wait for a team O.K. When the O.K. was received, the air craft would
return to base or another location as the mission dictated.

Numerous reconnaissance
teams could be in the field at any time. So, a set of gunships would
deploy to a Special Forces Camp nearest the inserted teams. Depending
on the distance (Flight time) from the staging base, they could be
joined by a set of slicks. Here all crews would sit on alert until
dark or they were scrambled to provide rapid fire support and
extraction capability if needed to support a team in trouble.

Scheduled extractions (few and far
between) used the same tactics. A set of guns would establish a
protective pattern over the LZ. If no hostile fire was encountered,
the extraction Huey would make a rapid descent into the LZ, pick up
the team, and then leave, with the gunships falling in behind the
unarmed transport slick If the extraction LZ was overgrown with
vegetation, or the extraction aircraft could not touch down, rope
ladders would be lowered from each side of the aircraft. Often, the
distance was too great for a rope ladder, so McGuire rigs were used.
Each slick had three 100 foot sling equipped ropes lashed to a floor
mount. Each rope was dropped through the trees to the waiting team.
The helicopter would then rise straight up until the men on the ropes
had cleared the trees. They would then be flown at about 40 knots to
the nearest safe area where pilot would enter a high hover, then
slowly descend until the men were slowly lowered onto the ground. The
helicopter would then land and take the team inside.

A “Hot” or unscheduled
extraction required different tactics. When the Forward Air
Controller determined a team needed to be extracted, a set of
gunships would be launched from the nearest location. If the team was
in immediate contact with the enemy, the FAC would ask for a flight
of “Hobos” (A1Es) to be scrambled from Pleiku for close
air support. Other close air support was also used, but the Hobos
were preferred. When the LZ was as secure as possible, the extraction
aircraft were called in for the recovery. A sit down/low hover was
nice, but many times the helicopter could not get low enough to pick
up the team. Extraction by rope ladder or McGuire rig was difficult
and kept the air crews exposed to hostile fire for extended periods
of time. Gunships provided fire suppression as needed, but it was
still very unnerving work for the “slick” pilots,
requiring great skill and courage from each pilot.

In the late fall of 1967, Project
Omega (Reconnaissance of the entire Ho Chi Minh trail) was
transferred to MAC-SOG and the Green Hornets moved to a new tent camp
South East of Ban Me Thuot. During the 1968 Tet Offensive, the
Hornets provided logistical and fire support to the U.S. Army, ARVN
Units, Army aviation at Ban Me Thuot, as well as continued support of
the SOG mission.

In the summer of 1968,
four Hueys were sent to Thailand to augment the Pony Express Ch-3s.
Here they also operated under the Pony call sign. Fuel limitations
prevented them from operating on cross border missions into North
Vietnam, but they were actively engaged in missions in Southern Laos.
In August of this year, the 20th Helicopter Squadron was
renamed the 20th Special Operations Squadron, and all CH-3
Assets were transferred to Thailand .In August of 1969, the
squadron’s CH-3s assets were transferred to the 21st
Special Operations Squadron, and the UH-1s returned to Vietnam. Also
in August, the Squadron Headquarters moved to Tuy Hoa AB. A year
later, in the summer of 1970, the squadron moved again, this time to
Cam Rahn Bay

From the fall of 1967
until 1972 countless missions were flown in support of the Special
Forces. Loss of UH-1F/P assets to maintenance problems and combat
losses forced a shift in tactics to using two slicks and two gunships
for infil and exfil. In late 1969, Army slicks and even VNAF H-34s
assumed the “slick” role. In 1970, the single engine P
model Hueys were replaced by twin engine N models, and the Hornets
resumed the entire mission role. Close air support from Hobos and
other Air Force fighter aircraft diminished as the activity in
“Omega” was increased.

The Green Hornets, as
SOG’s private Air Force, distinguished them selves in South
Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. In spite of the loss of 19 helicopters
to combat, Hornets prided themselves on bringing home the teams they
had inserted. This is evidenced by the range of decorations awarded
to its crews, from Purple Hearts up to and including the
Congressional Medal of Honor to Captain James P. Fleming.
Organizational awards include the Presidential Unit Citation as part
of MACV-SOG, The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat “V”,
and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry w/Palm.

The unit was deactivated
in 1972, and then reactivated in 1976 at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
(1976-90)

The primary mission of
unconventional warfare and Special Operations continues to this day,
using MH-53J Pave low III helicopters. The organization has
participated in operations involving Panama, Desert Shield, Haiti,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Desert Thunder, and other missions tasked by
Central Command.